Document 18: Mary B. Talbert to Mary White Ovington, 21 October 1922, NAACP Papers, Part 7: The Anti-Lynching Campaign, 1912-1955, Series B: Anti-Lynching Legislative and Publicity Files, 1916-1955, Library of Congress (Microfilm, Reel 3, Frame 289), by Mary Burnett Talbert. Included in How Did Black Women in the NAACP Promote the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, 1918-1923?, by Angelica Mungarro, under the supervision of Karen Anderson. (Binghamton, NY: State University of New York at Binghamton, 2003).

In the following letter to Mary White Ovington[25],
Mary B. Talbert stressed the importance of making the anti-lynching crusade
an inter-racial movement. Talbert wrote, "We are anxious that southern white
women as well as northern white women shall join us" and hoped that "white ministers"
would "lift up their voices" against lynching. White women including Juliette
V. Harring (see Document 16) and Mrs. Luke Johnson were
sought out as supporters for the Anti-Lynching Crusaders. The well being of
the nation was threatened by the continued incidence of lynching, a situation
which the anti-lynching crusade hoped to remedy.

October 21st, 1922.

Mrs. Mary White Ovington
70 Fifth Ave.,
New York.

Dear
Mrs. Ovington,

The
hour has come in America for every woman, white and black, to save the name
of her beloved country from shame by demanding that the barbarous custom of
lynching and burning at the stake be stopped now and forever.

I am firmly convinced that
your help and co-operation is need at this time. We are endeavoring to unite
a million women of both races to strive for the abolishment of lynching.
Enclosed pamphlet will tell you how and why the Anti-Lynching Crusaders
formed. Enclosed prayer will tell you how from the agony of our hearts,
we are asking your God and our God to lead us on in this crusade. We are
anxious that southern white women as well as northern white women shall
join us. We have already found a champion in the person of Mrs. Juliette
V. Harring, a southern white woman, who prevented a lynching in her own
state, Virginia. We are in communication, now, with Mrs. Luke Johnson of
Atlanta, Georgia, and we believe that she will give us her support of her
interracial committees.

We believe that God answers
prayer and we are going to pray every day at noon during the months of October,
November and December for God’s help in this particular movement. We want
to urge upon white ministers to lift up their voices against this terrible
blot upon America’s civilization and we want you to pray and work with us.

White women know that no better
group of women could be found than the colored women during the perils of
the Great World War and they also know, that no better group of women could
be found for loyalty and support at any time our country, our state, our
cities or our families are in danger.

Will you upon return mail send
me your endorsement of this crusade, which has already been endorsed by
the executive Board of the National Council of Women at its recent session,
held in Des Moines, Iowa, also by Miss Zona Gale, noted playwright and author,
Mrs. Nathaniel Harris, Honorary President of National Council of Jewish
Women, and many, many others, and thus permit us to give added publicity
with the hope of assisting American womanhood, determined to stamp out lynching
and mob violence?

We are asking for your support
and for your endorsement. We believe that every Christian woman in America
stands against lynching and mob violence. The accompanying pamphlet will
tell you that eighty three women have been lynched in America, white women
as well as black women, and we are asking that you give your endorsement
to this country wide movement among the women to abolish this great shame
and danger to the nation.

This is an independent movement
of women, working for one particular object to raise a fund to stop lynching,
after which we will disband.

COLORED WOMEN ARE SACRIFICING
ALL NON-ESSENTIALS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER
TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS FUND to be deposited in the Guaranty Trust Company
of New York on account tot he Anti-Lynching Crusaders. We hope to raise
at least one million of dollars, every cent of which will be used to provide
a legal defense fund. The success of this movement will mean the raising
of this amount of money to help us put over the Dyer Anti Lynching Bill.

This is the first time in the
history of the colored women that they have turned to their sister white
organizations and asked for moral and financial support and as we have never
failed you in any cause that has come to US, we do not believe that YOU
will fail us now. Gifts, donations raised, either by pledges or personal
donations, can be sent directly to the National Director, who will turn
this over to the Guaranty Trust Company, of New York City who will handle
this fund.

We will gladly appreciate a
letter from you that we may know that you also wish to lend your support
for the abolishment of this, the greatest shame and danger to the nation.

Yours for a better country
with a fuller and truer meaning of democracy for which black as well as
white boys died during the world war, I am